Saturday, January 02, 2016

Bombardier Garland, Royal Artillery


Bombardier Garland is referenced only once in Nurse Oliver's album and that is in two faded photographs of a series of five, pasted onto a single page. I am unsure whether these photographs were taken at Beechlands or Hickwells although I suspect they were taken at Beechlands as one of the men, Trooper Hicks, was certainly a patient at Hickwells from May 1916 but transferred to Beechlands the following month. Another of these faded photographs appears to show lupins growing and as these plants bloom in late May / June and continue through to August, I deduce that Beechlands is the more likely location. But I could be wrong.

He appears in the photo above, on the far right, smoking a cigarette.  Other named men in this photograph are, from left to right:

Back row
Sergeant Milne, Private Hilton, Sergeant Richey

Middle row
Trooper Hicks, Private Foster, Rifleman Deers, Private Hart, Bombardier Garland

Front row

Rifleman Hardcastle, Private Dorchester, Rifleman R Nicholson


In the second photo, above, he is named as "Bdr Garland" stands, far right, next to "Mr Hughes".


There are 114 men with the name "Garland" who served overseas with The Royal Field, Horse or Garrison Artillery, not to mention men with the same surname who may have enlisted but did not serve overseas. Thus identifying this man beyond his name and rank is an almost impossible task.


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